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Why reduce, reuse and recycle?

There are many good reasons to reduce, reuse and recycle. Everything we use has to come from somewhere and must go somewhere once we’re finished with it.

The environmental cost of an item isn't just a reflection of what's needed to make it. It also reflects the energy used in the item's production and the impact it will have when we use it and throw it away. This cost is felt both in Scotland and around the world.

By making smart decisions about what we buy and how we get the most out of our purchases, we can work together to reduce the amount of waste Scotland produces.

Items that break or fall apart can often be fixed to prolong their life. We can also reuse items for the same or a different purpose, giving many of the things that would otherwise be thrown away a second life.

And when it is finally time to throw something away, recycling makes sure that the materials used to make it are used again.

Reasons to reduce, reuse and recycle

Energy and resources are wasted whenever an item goes to landfill

Raw materials are a limited resource – we might not always be able to replace what we throw away

Less landfill means less pollution – and a cleaner, greener Scotland

Waste costs! Scotland’s avoidable food waste alone runs to more than £1 billion a year

Which materials can you recycle?

Take a look at our materials pages to find out more about the different things you can recycle.